Eternal Phoenix
by SoaringDreams
Summary: Airia has done everything she can for the sake of a single promise from long ago. The man she made the promise with has finally been reborn, but when she reunites with him, she realizes that things will never be how they were before. Whether the promise is kept is partially up to Airia, but fate will determine the rest. And oh, fate can be so cruel. FaixOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it. I'll be trying to update regularly and as much as I can. The OCs in this story are mine, but the Tsubasa characters and plot of course belong to CLAMP.**

* * *

There is one thing I care about above all else. For that one thing, I take the world's pain. I keep no bonds. I give my life to a contract that would give me hope. All for that one promise that the world once stole away from me. A promise that may never be fulfilled, no matter how long I wait. I will soon discover that the end, be it favorable or not, of my long journey is upon me.

* * *

It isn't my duty to stop the man, but I can't tolerate people like him. When he dies, I certainly can't allow his soul to stick around in this world longer than it has to. I just hope that when I reap his soul, he is not reborn any time soon.

My grip around my scythe tightens as I think about all the families he has broken. All the loved ones that have been lost. It makes me want to give him a painful death, even though it will be harder on me as well.

I arrive at his new palace now. The fact that he even has one is revolting, and the fact that he forced innocent people to work day and night to build it is even worse.

When I approach the gates, the guards cross their spears in front of me, blocking my way.

"Do you have business in the palace?" one of them questions, eying my weapon with a mixture of caution and fear. My scythe isn't really something to be messed with. The staff portion – a good couple feet longer than I am tall—is a dark, silvery-gray with streaks of red and orange fire. Actual fire. They flicker and dance around the staff harmlessly for me, but I can easily turn the fire on any living thing. The curved blade, about half the length of the staff, is similar with its silvery-gray shining through the light flames. It isn't an evil or menacing weapon, though. Yes, it keeps most people far away, but in reality it commands respect. After all, it is godly. Heavenly. Otherworldly. Divine. There are many words for it. And of course, such a powerful weapon is only borrowed.

"I do. And if you insist on standing in my way, I can't guarantee your safety."

I truly don't want to kill unnecessarily. While some of the power-hungry guards that work for Senir are loyal to him, there are others who simply fear him and want to avoid his wrath by staying on his good side. I don't want to accidentally bring someone an undeserved death.

"We cannot allow you to enter," the other guard states.

I waste no time in jumping over the gates. Though they are at least twenty feet tall, I easily clear them using some magic to carry me through the air. My own magic is wind-based, so manipulating air and flying are second-nature to me.

As I land in the courtyard, I discover that the guards from the gate have triggered some sort of magical security system. Waves of magical energy pulse through the air and converge on me, branding me a target and leading hundreds of guards out from who knows where to surround me.

The magic weakens me, suppressing my power. Still, it isn't enough to stop me, and I allow no weakness to show.

"I'm looking for Senir!" I shout to all the underlings.

One of them, who I presume to be the head guard, steps forward, pointing a magic-imbued sword at me. The sword glows with a dark purple light. A hit from that probably wouldn't be good. However, I don't fear death, and I can tolerate pain well.

"His highness needs not bother with scum like you," Mr. Lead Guard says. "An imbecile that has the nerve to step foot here without invitation deserves death."

I sigh. "You brought this upon yourselves."

All at once, they charge towards me with their leader at the head. I swipe my scythe up, blocking his sword before swinging my weapon in a circle around me. As I do, I send a wave of magic forward which throws all the guards back. I feel their injuries—the cuts in their bodies and the impacts with the ground— but am able to easily ignore the pain. The most unfortunate of them die, and I instinctively use my power to reap their souls. My scythe glows with a mystical golden power, and again I swing the weapon which launches a wave of shimmering golden light that envelops the fallen soldiers. This severs the ties between soul and body so that they may move on to the afterlife before being reborn again, but the still-living soldiers are unaffected. For them, I prompt fire to completely engulf the blade of my scythe and slash it in a wide arc, causing the fire to shoot out towards the foolish soldiers. Only a handful, the lead guard included, manage to block the attack. I notice that they all seem to have that same strange magic imbedded in their weapons.

It is not their own power but Senir's.

I snort. "Come at me," I say. These people have no hope of defeating me, and once I'm done dealing with them, I'll be able to move on to hunt down Senir.

The guards run towards me again, and our weapons collide. I am sidestepping and slashing, blocking with my scythe and guarding with magic barriers. Every wound I inflict on the guards is another bit of pain I have to ignore in the midst of battle.

Suddenly, there is a powerful wave of magic from the main entrance to the palace.

A powerful voice resonates in the courtyard. "Enough."

My foes and I have pulled apart, and we are all looking towards the man who has emerged from the palace. Senir himself.

"Your highness! We will dispose of this woman immediately," the lead guard quickly says.

Senir laughs disdainfully. "She will dispose of you useless worms first. I will take care of this myself." Then he addresses me. "Miss, you have really been a thorn in my side. I think it's time I get rid of you."

He holds up a hand up above his head and accumulates magic in it. The magical orb above his hand explodes into beams, and I raise a barrier before me. Except none of the beams are aimed at me, I realize. They all hit his guards. When the men fall to the ground, I know that they are dead. They did not even feel pain as the magic pierced their chests. Anger wells up inside me. I will not let this go unpunished. Senir begins forming a powerful spell directed at me this time. Using magic, I launch myself through the air, my feet not touching the ground. I cross a few hundred feet in only seconds, and when I am within a few meters of him, I pull my scythe back.

But when I swing it forward, I only make contact with a barrier. I am paused in the air, trying to cut through it with my momentum to back me.

My eyes catch Senir's, and I can see cruelty and arrogance. His confident gaze says that he has won, and I suddenly realize that magic chains are appearing around me. Immediately, I back off, form a barrier around myself, and try to jump out of the way.

But I am too late. The restraints wrap around me, easily piercing through my barrier. They dig into my wrists, my arms, my legs. My waist and torso. Whatever power he is controlling is unimaginable. I am suspended in the air by the chains, and I cannot move. I curse at myself for letting my guard down.

My scythe has become useless to me, so I let it vanish into flames and particles of light. "Kill me then," I say.

Senir speaks to me in a low voice. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You know, there's a legend. A legend about a phoenix."

Dread overcomes me. He knows. I have never met anyone else besides the witch and myself, in all the time I have lived, who also knows. Who exactly is this man…?

I usually have no reason to fear for my life, but now, I do.

Senir continues, "I have been looking for a way to obtain the phoenix's power. I didn't know if it was anything but legend, however it seems that there is some truth to such a thing, isn't there." He smiles slyly at me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I say harshly. "Now let me go if you aren't going to kill me."

"If you have the phoenix's power, then all I need to do is kill you to confirm it." He snaps his fingers and a magic bullet whizzes by my face, leaving behind a cut on my right cheek. He is showing me that he can kill me as he pleases. The chains tighten, and the smirk on his face disgusts me. "And once I do…" He leaves me hanging, but I know whatever he is planning isn't going to be good news.

We are staring each other in the eyes, neither of us breaking away, both us trying to read the other.

 _Falkira._ I call telepathically to the phoenix currently residing within my soul.

 _Airia, s_ ays a voice in my head, _i_ _f he has a feather from an older phoenix, he can override our contract._

My heart races and my hands tremble. I absolutely cannot let that happen. If there's even the slightest chance—and it seems like there's more than just a slight chance—that Senir could break the contract, then I have to break free. The wind picks up around me as I try to form a vicious whirlwind, but his strange power protects him with ease.

"Don't think you can hurt me," Senir says. He takes a step towards me, holding his palm towards my face. Magical energy is accumulating in his palm, and I am certain his attack will kill me instantly if it hits.

I am running out of time. I have to get out, and I have to get out now.

Closing my eyes, I start to chant under my breath.

"Oh sacred time, oh sacred space, take me away from here, I plead. Take my life, and let me be reborn." Magic courses through my entire body like fire, charging me with immense energy. When I open my eyes, everything has slowed down. Half a second. A tenth of a second. A hundredth. Thousandths. A ball of dark purple light is in front of his hand now, and I see it starting to form into a beam that heads straight towards me.

" _Kal kura nomin Yuuko,_ " I finish.

Many, many beads of shimmering light shoot out from my body and grow larger. The light is dark, yet it shines brightly with every color. Mysterious, yes. But time and space is quite mysterious.

Senir's beam is only a couple feet from me now.

The shimmering light of space and time comes back to converge on me.

A couple more inches and I will die before the spell completes.

I see Senir's expression begin to change as he reacts to the sudden appearance of the light. I do not know if he is surprised, or frustrated, or what. Before I can tell, everything is gone.

Rain. There is rain. It feels cold on my skin and makes the cut on my cheek sting. I recognize Yuuko's magical power.

Now that I am fully reborn into this world, I fall to my hands and knees because I don't have the strength to stand. Dimensional travel always takes a large toll on me. I essentially die and am reborn in a different place, though it isn't quite the same as a normal rebirth. My body and soul in the previous location disappear and are reformed at the destination. However, dying and being reborn are very difficult things. It takes a massive amount of life energy from you, and you are left vulnerable just after being reborn. And so, I can barely keep myself awake.

"Yuuko," I mutter.

I sense more magic that comes and then fades. There is now another, very strong source of magic near me. A few feet away to my right. It is familiar. The magic is so familiar. There are two voices, both coming from my right, but I can't comprehend what they say. I force my eyes open as tears begin to form for some reason I don't understand, as I have not cried in hundreds of years. I need to see. I need to turn my head just slightly. I absolutely need to, but just as I manage to catch a blurry glimpse of the man, I fall into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

-Fai's POV-

I can see the new world now that my magic is dispersing from around me. Before me stands the Dimension Witch, or at least, who I assume is her.

"Are you the Dimension Witch?" I ask.

Another voice to my left grumbled something at the same time.

Standing about a head taller than me, he wears all black except for his red headgear and is resting the blunt edge of a sword on his shoulder. He glares back at me as I look at him. My gaze then transfers to the woman collapsed in the grass on his other side, and seeing that I am looking past him, the man also turns to look.

She possesses a magic that reminds me of both fire and wind. It's weakened at the moment, but even so, I know that she is a powerful mage. Powerful in ways that I am not. I wonder what's happened to her. Her long, black hair is scattered around her, and I notice blood on her cheek that the rain is slowly washing off.

A little behind me and the darkly dressed man is a boy with a grave expression. A girl lies in his arms, her eyes closed as if she is asleep. But I can sense that she is missing something.

The witch brings our attention back to her. Holding out a hand, she asks for our names instead. "You first."

"I'm Kurogane. But where the hell are we?"

"Japan," the witch answers.

"Well, I came from Japan!" The man in black seems so confused and out of his wits that it's slightly amusing.

"A different one."

The corner of his mouth twists up in irritation. "I don't understand."

Choosing to ignore him, the witch addresses me now. "You?"

Bowing, I introduce myself. "I'm a wizard of the country of Celes. Fai D. Flourite."

"You do know where we are, right?"

I nod. "Yes. A place where you grant wishes at a proper or high price."

"That's correct."

I quickly glance at the collapsed woman again, wondering about her.

"She, too, is a customer of mine. You are all here because you have a wish."

Yes, my wish. Without hesitation, I say, "I want to never return to my home world."

Interestingly enough, I said this simultaneously with the black man, who made the exact opposite wish—to return to his original world. Again, I look at him. We seem to be on the same wavelength. It's somewhat odd, but he just looks even more annoyed now.

"That's a difficult wish to fulfill for both of you. No. For all of you, for your wishes, if you pay separately, it won't be enough. But if you pay together, you might barely be able to afford it."

The black-clad man is completely lost with all this. "What the hell are you talking about—"

He really is quite amusing. I decide to call him Mr. Black to see what kind of reaction I can get from him. "Please be quiet, Mr. Black," I request with a smile.

Instantly, he turns on me and yells, "It's not Mr. Black! It's Kurogane!"

Grinning, I let out a small chuckle. It was a better reaction than I expected.

The moment is short-lived. We face the witch seriously again as she continues as if there had been no interruption. "You four all have the same wish."

Four… Is she including the unconscious woman with the strong magic?

"You, child," she says to the boy, "want to go to different worlds to collect this girl's memories." To Mr. Black, "From a different world, you want to go back to your own world." Then to me, "You want to go live in a world other than your own." And finally, she refers to the unconscious woman. "And she is in search of something as well." She continues, "Your purposes are different, but the means are the same. You have different reason why you want to go to different worlds. I can't grant each one of your wishes separately, but if the four of you each give me your most precious item, you can go to different worlds."

"What do I have to give you?" Mr. Black cuts right to the chase.

"That sword."

He quickly becomes defensive and angrily shouts, "I'll never hand over my silver dragon-!"

Smiling wickedly, the witch leans towards him and pokes him in the chest. "Fine then. In exchange, you can roam around looking like a cosplayer, violate weapon laws, get arrested by the police, and get interviewed on television."

"Eh? Poli? Tele?"

Watching him is so funny. The witch adds, "I'm the only one in this world able to send you to another world."

"BULLSHIT!" he roars.

Joining in seems fun. "It's true," I tell him.

Looking at me with a funny, defeated face, he asks, "Really?"

I nod my head while laughing.

The witch holds her hand out expectantly. "What are you going to do?"

Gritting his teeth, he quickly sheathes his sword and thrusts it in front of the witch. "When this curse is gone, I will definitely return for it!"

She takes it and keeps it suspended in the air by her. Now she faces me. "Your price is that tattoo."

I'm shocked that she knows about it, but I only let it show on my face for a second before smiling and offering my staff instead. "Will this staff not do?"

"I said," she repeats, "the price is your most valuable possession."

I push my hood from my head and close my eyes before flashing a small smile. If this is the only way… "I guess I have no other choice then…"

I allow the seal on my back to be removed by the witch's magic, and the black pattern drifts towards her.

Next, she looks at the unconscious woman. I have been wondering how she could pay a price while not even being conscious. But her gaze lingers for only a moment before she looks to the boy. Before I can stop myself, I ask, "What about her?"

"She already paid her price a long time ago."

Has she already come to the witch before? Out of curiosity, I wonder what her story is, though it is of no concern of mine.

"And you?" the witch asks the boy. "What is the most precious thing that you own? And will you give it to me to go to another world?"

Without hesitation, he answers, "Yes."

"Your price has not yet been told and yet you will still give it to me?"

"Yes."

The kid's really got some guts. His heart is strong.

"I can only help you travel to different worlds. You must search for this child's memories by yourself," the witch continues.

And one more time, the boy says with absolute certainty, "…Yes."

She smiles. "Good. You're prepared."

A teenage boy now runs out of the witch's shop carrying two creatures. They are the same, except one is white and the other is black. The witch takes the white one from the boy. "This one's name is Mokona Modoki. He will take you to different dimensions."

Mr. Black holds out his hand and smiles. "You have another one. I'll go with that one."

"That's only for communication. All he can do is communicate with this Mokona," the witch explains, indicating that only the white one can travel worlds. "Mokona can take you to another dimension, but he can't control where you land. Fate will determine when your wishes will be granted. But," the witch continues, "there are no coincidences in this world. There is only hitsuzen. You were fated to meet each other." She turns to the boy again. "Syaoran, your payment is the relationship with that child. Even if she gets all her memories back, you will not have the same relationship with her as before. What is she to you?"

Syaoran looks at the girl and closes his eyes in thought. "My childhood friend. The princess of my country. And someone who is very important to me."

"I see… But if you're going to use Mokona, that relationship will disappear. Even if you were able to return all her memories, she will not remember you. That is your price."

A steep price for a boy to be paying. Cruel, in fact, to be forgotten by someone so dear to you. But I know he will accept.

Syaoran pulls the princess closer to him, and after a momentary pause, looks back up, determination burning in his eyes. "I'll go! I won't let Sakura die!"

I put a smile on my face.

"There are many worlds. People that you know, people from past worlds, people may have different lives in separate worlds. You may meet the same people in many different worlds. For those who were nice to you in one, they may not be the same in another. Living standards and rules may also be different in different worlds. Some worlds may be full of criminals or wars. You have to keep living and passing through the worlds while looking for the fragments of the memories, not knowing where or when they will all be gathered." Her lips are turned in a kind, satisfied smile. "But you are still determined right?"

We all know his answer, but Syaoran confirms it anyway. It has been determined. These are my new travelling companions. I will be careful to keep them as just that, even though – no, maybe _because_ — these are people I will be with for a while.

"Well then," the witch holds up Mokona and magic surrounds the creature as the wind picks up. A magic circle forms underneath it, and wings spread out from its back. "Please get going."

It opens its mouth and, amazingly, sucks us all in to head to another world.

And so our journey begins. At all costs, I will have my wish granted or die in the process.

* * *

-Airia's POV-

I am suspended in space, surrounded by white. Pure white. And though this isn't the first time for me, seeing nothing but white and not even feeling the effects of gravity is still quite an odd experience.

A golden orb appears before me and transforms into a large phoenix. Fire dances off her golden feathers. "Airia, that man now knows that you have made a contract. He will come after you."

"I suppose he will," I say. If he manages to break the contract, then it would be trouble for me. It might also mean permanent death if he kills me afterwards, and I can't allow that. Not before the promise is fulfilled. Despite this, I sound more indifferent than I probably should. That is to be expected, though. After all, I have not had to worry about my life for a very, very long time. Concern, in addition to many other feelings, is something that I have grown unaccustomed to expressing.

"But things are getting more interesting. I've really come to like you, my friend." Falkira coos slightly, but I can't tell if she is amused or sad. It must be amusement, I figure, as I have never seen her express the latter emotion. "I almost wish our contract would last forever."

What? She's never said anything like that before. No matter what happens, our contract will end, and the phoenix will eventually form contracts with others during the span of her long life."What do you mean by—"

Before I can finish, Falkira dissolves into wisps of golden fire and light. "Wake now, and let fate take you where it may."

Light filters into the room from the window. I sit up, which causes my head to spin. I should be back to normal in a day or two, but for now I am still weak from the dimensional travel I performed.

A number of people are in the vicinity. Too many people, actually. Dull pain across my entire body tells me I am in a city, much to my annoyance. Since entering the contract with the phoenix, Falkira, I have felt the pain of those around me as if the pain were my own. In the beginning, the cumulative pain of the thousands of nearby people in a city made it difficult for me do anything besides berate myself for accepting such a stupid contract. However, through the seemingly never-ending years, I've honed my ability to distance myself from pain. It's somewhat like a switch I can turn on or off in my mind. On, and I detach myself from all the pain. Like looking through a screen, I see it's still there, but it cannot reach me. Not completely, anyway. When I turn the switch off, I am back to reality.

It has become almost second-nature for me to remain detached when I'm not in isolation. And I am definitely not in isolation. Looking around, I find the room is bare, save for a small TV against one wall and a girl laying asleep on a thin mattress on the floor identical to the one I have woken up on. She looks to be fourteen or so and has short ginger hair, though two longer sections of hair frame either side of her face. Then I realize that she is not asleep. Well, not in the normal sense of the word. Her soul is… incomplete somehow. I have never witnessed such an occurrence, and I can only wonder how it happened. For now, I have other things to figure out.

Touching a hand to my cheek, I find that the cut has healed and that there is no dried blood on my face either, presumably because the rain at Yuuko's shop washed it off. Good. But how exactly did I end up here, and where exactly is here? Maybe being at Yuuko's shop was a dream? Uncertainty creeps over me, but there is at least one thing I am sure of. Of the people nearby, there is one soul that is familiar: the soul I sensed before I fell unconscious. Unlike other souls, this is one I can recognize easily.

There are footsteps outside the room and muffled voices. Throwing the blanket back, I stand up, ignoring my fatigue and lightheadedness. I may not be able to walk in a straight line at the moment, but my hand soon find the doorknob. I might finally be coming to the end of my journey, but it's hard to believe that I'm not imagining things. Maybe this isn't real. Maybe I'm dreaming.

The man that was walking down the hall turns around when I swing the door open.

My heart skips a beat and an onslaught of emotions hits. That I would suddenly feel such strong emotions takes me off guard, so much so that my chest aches and my heart and head feel like they will explode. I cannot remember the last time I have felt like this. Was there ever even a time I have felt this?

He stands maybe a foot taller than me with light blond hair, clear blue eyes, and powerful magic. As I stare at him, dumbfounded by the sight of him, he returns a momentarily surprised gaze. Perhaps I opened the door too suddenly. It's not like I could help it, though. I can't even count the number of times I have wanted to give up or thought everything I was doing was a waste. But finally, I am getting somewhere. God, why am I crying all of a sudden? I try to say something, but my voice catches in my throat as a tear runs down my face, followed by another. Maybe it wasn't a dream before. No, I know it wasn't a dream before, and that it isn't a dream now. The soul—the man—I have been waiting and searching for is actually here. Everything down to the magic he possesses is familiar.

He takes a few steps towards me so he is only a couple feet away. Bending down slightly, he peers at my face with a smile, his face inches from mine. "Are you okay? You're crying."

"Yuu…" I manage to breathe. I have been holding my breath without even realizing.

"Me?" he asks in confusion, pointing at his own face.

"Yuui…?" I squeak out, instinctively grabbing his hand with one of my own before I can stop myself.

For a moment, I think I see shock cross his face, but then he smiles and shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I believe you're mistaken. My name is Fai. Fai D. Flourite. Besides at the Witch's shop, this is our first time meeting."

His questioning eyes travel to my runaway hand, prompting me to pull it back and quickly wipe away the stray tears with the back of it. "Sorry."

The man simply smiles. "What can I call you?"

With a forced smile, I reply, "I'm Airia. Nice to meet you, Fai." I offer my hand out, and when he grabs it, I give a firm handshake. "I guess I was unconscious earlier." Then, deciding not to bombard the blonde with a million questions about every conceivable thing that I need to know, I ask a single question instead. "What exactly happened at Yuuko's place?"

"Hmm, it might be easier to explain with the others. Now that you're awake, you can join us for breakfast too!" Fai cheerily beckons for me to follow him. With a small, acknowledging smile, I oblige.

As we walk towards the source of other voices, thoughts tumble around my head.

This man's name is not what I was expecting, but it's not worth questioning. It is the person himself I have waited for, so his name makes no difference. However, even though we are finally so close, he is still so far. To him, we're complete strangers, after all. On top of that, anything might happen from here on, especially with that crazy, power-hungry Senir who is probably going to hunt me down.

Then there's the promise I made. Whether that promise is fulfilled remains to be determined. I was never able to figure out what I would do once I got to this point, and I still have no idea. Is there anything I even _can_ do? I should probably just go along with everything and see where I end up. For now at least. I will have to talk to Yuuko.

Lastly, there is a growing ache in my chest – a pain I either have not felt before or cannot remember. I don't know what it is. Regret? Sadness? Hopelessness? Longing? It starts to gnaw away at me. Like the rest of the pain I feel, I decide to force it away and tune it out. I don't need more pain.

 _Especially not when the end of my wait may have finally begun._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys, this is my first story here, and I just wanted to thank you for reading! I hope you like it so far!**

* * *

"Ah, you're awake!" a man with black hair exclaims as I drop, maybe a bit too hurriedly, into the nearest chair. After the initial few steps I took after I awoke, my head stopped spinning so I am able to walk properly again. However, my head still pounds, hating me for walking around so soon. I am not about to let these people know I am weak at the moment, though, so I hide any trace of discomfort. "I'm Sorata, and this is my lovely honey Arashi!"

The woman he introduces sets down a plate on the table I have seated myself at. There are what I assume to be buns piled on the plate. Arashi gestures towards the food. "Please, take one."

Smiling politely, though not in the mood to actually eat anything, I say, "Thank you. And I'm Airia."

A small white creature suddenly fills my field of vision and lands on my head. "Nice to meet you Airia!" it exclaims happily. "I'm Mokona! Mokona is glad you're awake!"

The creature's name is Mokona? I reach for it with one hand and put it on the table in front of me. It is small enough that I can easily pick it up with one hand, and it has amazingly soft fur. Long ears, almost like a rabbit's, hang down from its head, and besides the red gem on its forehead and the earring it wears, the creature is practically a moving snowball. Though my head hurts and just seconds ago I wanted nothing more than to lay down, the curious creature momentarily distracts me from all of that. After all…

 _This thing is adorable!_

I have to make an effort to not pull it (Her? Does it even have a gender?) into a suffocating hug. In the back of my mind, I hear Falkira tease, _I can't believe I made a contract with someone who is still so captivated by such things._ Then she adds, having heard my inner thoughts pertaining to a certain comparison: _Also, it's not like a snowball at all._

Brushing Falkira's statement off, I respond. _Whatever, but look how cute this creature is!_

Falkira falls silent and I am broken out of the distractions when the snowball hops away, drawing my attention to the others in the room. I already know Fai, Arashi, and Sorata, but there are two more people here. One is a man, even taller than Fai, who is dressed in a black T-shirt with dark jeans and boots. He has short, spikey black hair and is presently leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. The other is a boy who looks about the same age as the sleeping girl from before. He wears a short-sleeved shirt with loose pants and has come to the table to grab a bun.

Jumping from person to person, Mokona gives short introductions. _Very_ short introductions. "You already met Fai!" Mokona then leaps from Fai's head to the boy's shoulder. "This is Syaoran!" Finally, the snowball hurls itself towards the man by the wall, directly at his face. "And this—"

Before Mokona can reach him, the man shoots a hand out to grab it. Throwing Mokona across the room, which surprisingly enough elicits gleeful squeals from the white creature, the man snaps, "Stay away from my face!"

I notice Fai catch Mokona, but most of my attention is on the other man. His annoyance has been replaced by seriousness as his red eyes begin to bore into me. "I'm Kurogane," is all he says. But I have seen that look before. He is assessing me, trying to figure out who I am and what I may be hiding. I can't say I blame him for being a bit cautious, though. From my own evaluation of the man, he is strong. A seasoned fighter. While he isn't burly, what I can see of his muscles are well-toned. If he's as tough as he seems, then I'm sure he can tell that I'm more than what I appear to be. More importantly, I have a feeling he's one of the two kinds of people I hate.

"Nice to meet you, Kurogane," I say with a slight smile. He only grunts in acknowledgement, but I don't need anything more. Turning to Syaoran, I give him a polite greeting as well. "And nice to meet you too, Syaoran."

"Hey, hey!" Sorata urges, beginning to shove Syaoran into the chair across from me before the boy can even respond. "Save the talking for later. My honey's breakfast will go cold if you don't eat now!"

* * *

Prior to being ushered out of the apartment by Sorata, who then hurried off to work, Arashi had lent me a new outfit to wear while in this world. I didn't complain, as my own clothes, especially the cloak, had been dirtied with mud from my visit at Yuuko's shop and would stand out too much anyway. Apparently, Arashi had already taken off my cloak to wash the previous night, which is why I hadn't woken up wearing it, and was kind enough to wash the rest of my clothes for me as well.

Now I wear a simple long-sleeved shirt like Fai, though the color of mine is solid red while Fai's is white with black trimming. Since the taller woman didn't have any pants that fit me, she gave me a black skirt instead which falls to just above my knees. The shirt is tucked into the skirt, and to complete the outfit, I wear a pair of short, black boots. The clothing is all somewhat plain, similar to the others' borrowed clothes.

As we continue through the overly-crowded city, I finally am getting my questions answered.

"So you're looking for that girl's, Princess Sakura's, memories which have been scattered in the form of feathers? And Mokona will let you know when it senses one?" I ask for confirmation about my understanding of what I have been told in the last ten minutes.

Syaoran replies, "Yes."

"And Kurogane is trying to return to his own world while Fai wants to avoid his own world."

"Yep, you got it!" Fai answers cheerfully. I risk a sideways glance at his face to see him smiling as he looks around at all the buildings, both tall and short, with some mixture of curiosity and amazement. It's as if he has forgotten about or completely dismissed my strange behavior around him this morning, and I'm not complaining.

"And I arrived at Yuuko's shop a little after Syaoran, so as far as you know, Yuuko just… sent me with you? Through Mokona." I'm still not sure how exactly I ended up with this group of people, and they don't seem to know much either. I'm also skeptical about how Mokona could possibly have sucked us into its mouth in the process of travelling dimensions. Mokona is tiny, and in comparison, we are… definitely _not_.

Spinning around on Syaoran's head to face me, Mokona pipes up proudly, "Mokona is amazing! Right, right?"

I curve my mouth to give her a tiny smile before Kurogane grumbles loud enough for Mokona to hear, "Not a chance."

Voice filled with curiosity, Fai asks, "Well, the Dimension Witch said you had already paid the price to travel dimensions with us. What was your wish?"

My smile fades. Although Kurogane is walking slightly behind me, some instinct tells me that his expert eyes are currently trained on me in an attempt to analyze me based on the response I have yet to give. Part of me wishes I had stayed behind with Arashi and that princess so I could avoid these questions, but I know it would only delay the inevitable. Looking straight ahead, I simply say, "I'm looking for something."

It's not a lie. It's just extremely vague. However, I don't intend on telling these people anything more, so I fall silent. Thankfully, none of them press me further.

After a few more minutes of walking, a couple of teenage girls wearing uniforms pass by, giggling about Mokona. With a smirk, Kurogane comments to the creature, "They're laughing at you."

Unfazed, Mokona immediately responds with an amazing amount of self-confidence, "Mokona is very popular!"

"You wish!" Kurogane barks back angrily.

We only manage to walk a few more feet before a street vendor calls to us. "Welcome! Would you like to buy some apples?" A red fruit lies in his hand.

Coming from different worlds, the three males with me clearly have different definitions for "apple," and they don't hesitate in voicing their opinions. Finding it all kind of a pain, I tune out their fruit debate and look around at the other produce instead. It doesn't take long before the vendor, thankfully, roars at them in annoyance. "DO YOU WANT TO BUY ANY OR NOT?"

Without waiting for any of the others to respond, Mokona jumps up and exclaims, "Buy!"

* * *

We are standing on the side of a bridge overlooking the river that runs through the city. The young brunet hands me a newly-purchased apple. "Here's yours, Airia."

Not really in the mood for an apple, but not wanting to reject the friendly offer when Syaoran had specifically bought one apple for each of us, I thank the kid and take a small bite from it.

"Apples taste good!" Fai exclaims, not having come from a world with apples. "But we really are from different worlds. Oh! How did you get to the Dimension Witch's place?"

Syaoran answers first. "My country's priest sent me."

"That priest is really something then! It's not easy to transport even a single person, yet he sent two people to another dimension at once!" Fai seems impressed, but judging by the massive amount of magic he possesses, I wonder why. I, on the other hand, am more impressed by the whole apple that is presently entering Mokona's gaping mouth. The apple was nearly as big as Mokona, yet it just… vanished. Into Mokona's stomach. Was this impossible feat some act of magic? I glanced at the others, but they somehow didn't seem to notice what Mokona had just done. It was magic then, I conclude.

"How about Kuro-rin?" Fai asks.

Annoyed by more things than one, Kurogane complains, "I was forcefully sent by the princess of my country. And stop calling me those names!"

I am sure Fai is purposely provoking the easily-annoyed man as he starts laughing and points a finger at him. "Oh, so you did something bad and were punished?"

"SHUT UP!" Kurogane demands. Then he calms down a bit to ask, "Well? What about you two?"

Fearing where this might lead, I don't particularly want to be part of this conversation, but Fai leans against the bridge's railing right next to me and gives me an inquiring look. "You first, Airia!"

Our eyes catch each other only for a brief moment, as I force my gaze away before something in me starts to stir. Avoiding eye contact with him is probably not the best way to handle my situation, but I just can't look at him. That pain that was beginning to gnaw away at me earlier will return if I'm not careful; I'm sure of it. I don't know what I might do if it consumes me, which is why I have to keep it at bay until I figure something out.

Turning around, I lean on the railing and put my hand on my chin. The slightly murky water flows gently beneath us. If I look carefully enough, I can spot some fish darting around.

My answer to the question is simpler than my actual method of dimensional travel. "I transported myself."

"Wait," Kurogane grumbles, "Then why did you even go to the witch? You could have just traveled by yourself."

"I guess." Except it's not that simple. Traveling by myself wouldn't fulfill my wish, and in any case… "That would be more tiring."

"You're amazing, AIria," Fai praises. I continue watching the fish as he continues. "Not many people have enough power to travel dimensions multiple times. Even with all my power, I can only transport myself to another world once, which is how I got to the Dimension Witch's place. The ones who transported Syaoran and Kuro-chin both have very powerful magic, but even if they used all their power, they probably couldn't transport someone more than once. That would be why the priest sent Syaoran to the Dimension Witch. To retrieve all of Sakura's feathers, we have to travel through many worlds, and she would be the only one who has enough power for that."

Fai's explanation made sense. Though I can basically travel to as many worlds as I want, dying and being reborn every time is incredibly draining and inefficient. Not to mention potentially dangerous. And annoying. Yuuko, on the other hand, is exceptionally powerful; I have met no other person with as much magical power and wisdom as her. For her, it would be easy—as long as the proper price is paid. That being said, Fai isn't exactly being honest either. I wonder if he knows that I can tell he's lying. I can sense it. _Feel_ it. He has plenty of magic to transport himself through dimensions again. But with all the things I'm hiding myself, I have no right to rat him out.

"Sakura…" I hear Syaoran mutter under his breath.

A loud yell suddenly tears me out of my thoughts. We all turn our attention towards the source. There appears to be two clashing gangs. One gang stands on top of a multi-story. All of the members wear black shirts, scarves, and goggles. An odd outfit in my opinion. One man, who has long hair tied in a ponytail and who I assume to be the leader, stands in the front.

The opposing gang is on the ground, and each of their members wears a strange-looking jumpsuit topped with a cap. One of them shouts, "We'll get you this time! This is _our_ territory!"

Fighting over territory. What idiots.

Another of the jumpsuit gang shouts something about a "Kudan." I remember Sorata mentioning something about Kudans before we left. As the two gangs charge each other, the amount of power I sense in the area spikes up as creatures of all kinds appear out of nowhere in the midst of the quarreling idiots. The creatures, ranging from weird bats to three-headed mini chimera things, on each side are firing energy blasts at each other.

While there is general unrest among the civilians who are screaming and shouting who-knows-what, Fai and Kurogane are completely calm.

"So that's a Kudan?" Kurogane questions, referring to the strange creatures. I don't like that expression on his face. There is a trace of amusement or anticipation in his smirk and a familiar glisten in his eyes that suggest that he actually likes a good fight— or more specifically, to participate in one. Again, I think that he is probably the kind of person of I hate.

Fai, though I only glance at him from my peripheral as I continue watching the fight, is completely carefree. "No wonder Mokona didn't scare or surprise anyone," he comments.

I, however, am greatly irritated. Something like this almost always results in unnecessary pain and destruction. My point is proven when the blasts begin to damage the surrounding buildings and threaten the safety of innocent bystanders.

Idiots.

Figuring that in this world, using magic wouldn't be that out of the ordinary, I prepare to interrupt the fight. Gathering magic around me, I am about to leap into the air when I notice a scared little girl standing in the path of a stray beam of energy. Instead of charging into the fray, I instinctively lift my arm in her direction and infuse my magic into the air, forming a barrier of condensed air in front of the child. When the attack dissipates, I release the barrier and lower my arm. Completely oblivious to the fact that a barrier protected her child, the child's mother comes to drag her daughter to safety.

"That was cool." Fai grins at me, having seen what I just did. Surprised that he noticed my actions and spoke to me all of a sudden, I automatically turn to him. Again, our eyes meet. Again, I only allow that for a split second before facing back towards the battle.

 _If you keep doing that, he'll think you hate him._ Falkira bluntly speaks into my mind. Her words catch me off guard. She's right, of course, but that doesn't mean I want to hear her teasing at the moment.

 _…Stop talking,_ I tell her.

The phoenix chuckles in amusement. W _e'll talk later then._

Before I even have a chance to reply to Fai, who is entirely unaware of my short conversation with Falkira, the leader of the goggles gang unflinchingly summons a giant stingray-like Kudan to counter the attack of the monster Kudan jumping towards him. Water erupts from the goggles leader's Kudan, sending waves across the ground. One boy falls over from the waves, and both he and his friend are in danger of being in the way of a powerful blast of water from the stingray.

I begin to lift my hand to protect the two boys, but Syaoran acts first. "Watch out!" he warns before dashing towards them. I'm not sure he notices the wisps of fire forming around him and actually protecting him as he throws himself over the boys in an attempt to shield them with his own body. Water meets fire in a loud explosion, and when the steam from the impact disappears, there is a large wolf standing protectively over Syaoran. One long horn protrudes from its head, and its body is completely engulfed in—perhaps even made of—fire.

The goggles gang leader speaks for the first time, and his words are directed to Syaoran. "You have a special Kudan too, don't you?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: It took longer than I would have liked to get this chapter done, but here it is!**

* * *

Both Kudans, along with their respective owners, face each other in a clashing standoff between fire and water. Once more, the fire wolf protects Syaoran from another of the opposing Kudan's water-based attacks. The impressed gang leader offers a small smile. "I like you. I'm Asagi Shougo. You?"

One brief pause later, the boy answers, "...Syaoran."

I'm expecting the fighting to continue, but before I know it, one of Shougo's followers alerts us all to approaching police and both gangs have dispersed, fading into the safety of the crowded city. Even the wolf Kudan vanishes back into Syaoran. Remaining slightly behind Fai and Kurogane, I slowly follow the two towards Syaoran and the boys he helped.

"Are you okay?" Syaoran is frantically asking the black-haired boys beside him. One wears a black school uniform and the other stands in traditional-looking clothes. I don't even need a response from them to know that the worst injury is only a bruised knee. I am somewhat taken off guard, though, when the traditional boy completely disappears like Syaoran's Kudan had.

I realize just before Fai verbalizes the thought and exclaims in understanding, "Oh! That boy was a Kudan too!"

Unaware that I had started staring at the back of Fai's head, I now find myself jerking my head away when the blonde begins looking around for the now-missing Mokona.

What is _wrong_ with me? My current behavior is—

 _Creepy?_ My resident phoenix finishes for me, nothing but amusement in her tone.

 _Ugh, stop it. I thought I told you to stop talking. And that was not how—_

I can almost see the mischievous glint in her red eyes as she interrupts me. _You're right. You're actually being rather—_

 _Falkira. Stop. I get it._

My mental conversation with Falkira ends when I notice gleeful squeals erupting from behind me. A group of girls are doting over—and I completely understand why—the fluffy white snowball who is bold enough to cheer, "Mokona is so popular!"

The girls don't let Mokona leave easily, but after the creature returns to Syaoran's the top of Syaoran's head, she starts to rigorously tap the boy's head to get his attention. "Earlier, Mokona was like this!"

Oh god! I have a near heart attack when Mokona opens her eyes wide to reveal dark pupils that absolutely do not suit the rest of the cute creature. I can't believe she could open her eyes at all. Her eyes have been closed the entire day so far, but thinking about it, how does she know what's around her if her eyes are always closed? Her behavior has indicated that she can actually see, but maybe her hearing and other senses compensate for lack of sight? Maybe those aren't actually eyes? Maybe that gem on her forehead is actually where she sees from? So many questions… But I don't ask a single one.

Syaoran, on the other hand, jumps at the development. "Sakura's feather is here?!"

" _That's_ how Mokona is going to tell us if there's a feather?" I blurt out.

Eyes back to normal now, Mokona turns to me to exclaim, "Yep!"

As she continues to explain to Syaoran how she can't feel the feather's power anymore, I wonder about what else I missed before I woke up. Suddenly, there is a gentle hand on my shoulder. I know immediately who it belongs to, of course.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss much else," Fai says, as if he read my mind.

I offer the blonde only a quick glance of acknowledgement before telling Syaoran, "I sensed a strong power, too. I thought it was just a Kudan, but…"

Fai's hand is gone now as he continues my thought. "It could very well have been the feather. It would be hard to know who all the people here were, but at least we know someone has it."

Someone has it… Yes, I suppose that could be true. Something bothers me, though. In that mass of Kudans, I had indeed sensed a stronger power. It was too hard to distinguish it, and given the unknown nature of Kudans, I had ignored it. Now that I am recalling it a little more, I realize that that power of what is supposedly one of Sakura's feathers is… unsettlingly familiar.

* * *

Masayoshi, the boy Syaoran helped, takes us to a restaurant. Per Mokona's request, of course. Not particularly hungry and more tired than anything, I spend most of the time watching Kurogane and Mokona's tug-of-war fight with food that is basically just Mokona trying to steal the muscular man's lunch. The fluffy snowball couldn't have picked a worse person to annoy, but at least it makes good entertainment. I do very slowly consume a couple of pieces of meat, but that is more to keep up whatever appearance of normality I can manage. All the walking around while I haven't fully recovered is starting to catch up with me.

"Is something wrong?" Fai asks me as we stand up to leave.

"I'm just tired," I reply.

"That's not—"

"That was tasty!" Mokona exclaims, interrupting Fai. Relief washes over me now that the mage cannot press me further.

"What now?" I ask before Fai can find an opportunity to finish talking to me.

Syaoran answers, "We should look around some more."

I was hoping we could go back to the apartment so I could talk to Yuuko and get some much needed rest, but I knew from the start that Syaoran definitely would insist on searching for Sakura's feather longer. I'm not keen on going back on my own and showing weakness, so I'll continue going along with the others.

From my peripheral, I see Fai give me a final look before turning to Syaoran. "We don't know this place well, so it'll be hard to go far."

"If you're looking for something," Masayoshi eagerly offers, "I'll help and be your guide!"

"It's not too much trouble is it?" Syaoran asks.

"Not at all! I just need to call home, so please wait here!"

Running off towards a shop, the boy disappears into the crowd and leaves us in the middle of the packed shopping center.

"We didn't get to talk to you about it much before," Fai says to Syaoran, "but your Kudan…"

"I had a dream," Syaoran explains, "about that fire beast that came from me."

Arms crossed, Kurogane adds skeptically, "I also had a strange dream with a beast in it."

Fai confirms that he, too, had a similar dream, and all of a sudden the three all look at me with the same underlying question. Did I have a dream about a beast—presumably a Kudan—as well? Honestly, I wasn't sure if I dreamed at all. Sure, I had an encounter with Falkira, but does that count as a dream? There's no way Falkira is a Kudan, though, so that would mean I wouldn't have had the same kind of dream as the others. On the other hand…

 _What is_ _a Kudan, Airia?_ Falkira's voice sounds in my head again.

 _How should I know?_ I retort. _I hardly know anything about this world._

 _These Kudans seem like gods that reside within each individual._

I stop when I realize what Falkira is thinking.

Oblivious to my inner conversation with Falkira, Fai tries to prompt a reply from me. "Airia?"

"Yes," I reply. "I had a dream like that, too."

And to Falkira, I respond, _You could be considered a god. A god_ _that lives with me, and me alone. But you're not even from this world, so how could you be a Kudan?_

 _Whatever I am, maybe I shall attempt take my physical form in this world._

I can feel her mischievous anticipation, and I really wouldn't mind meeting her in the physical world again except for how troublesome she can be. _If you do, you better not cause any problems. There are enough annoying problems already,_ I bitterly think as I watch members of yet another gang confront us. They wear leather jackets and chain necklaces and sport incredibly tacky mohawks.

A short, plump man steps forward and yells a question at us. "Who is the one named Syaoran!"

"Why do you want to know?" Fai asks before the boy himself can reply, a small smile on his lips.

"Are you the man that Shougo liked?"

His smile is now a wide grin as he answers, "What if I am?"

Along with Kurogane's silent glare, I give the blonde my own questioning look. Is he trying to save Syaoran from whatever trouble this gang is about to cause? Or maybe he just wants to get into trouble himself. But… why is he smiling so much? All day, and even now, he's managing a grin. It's not bad to smile, but this seems wrong in ways that I can't put into words. He's not really the man I remember, and while I never expected him to be exactly the same, it's like that man I searched for all this time is lost somewhere in this person. Everything is here, but it's put together wrong, almost like jumbled pieces of a puzzle. Yet even for a mixed up puzzle, he still stirs something in me in a way no one else could.

Snapping me out of my thoughts, the young brunet identifies himself. "I am Syaoran."

Once the gang leader learns that Syaoran isn't part of Shougo's team, the next couple minutes is an annoying attempt by the gang leader to recruit Syaoran for his team. Naturally, the boy in question clearly and calmly maintains that he has no intention to join any team. The knucklehead quickly jumps to his own conclusions, though, practically ignoring anything Syaoran might have to say.

At this point, he's just looking to start a fight. He stupidly reasons, "So you plan on forming your own team!"

Syaoran attempts to explain himself better, but the leader is already summoning his Kudan: a giant spikey-shelled creature with a long tail. The vaguely crab-like beast quickly swings its tail towards Syaoran, who ducks just in time as the tail cuts straight through the pillar behind him. Kurogane, Fai, and I were further back, just out of range of the attack, but now Kurogane is walking forward to challenge the attacker.

"I've been pretty bored," Kurogane confidently says. "I'll take you on."

Bored? He wants to fight because he was _bored_? I can tell he's probably also trying to help Syaoran, but from his movements and tone of voice, it's obvious that he seeks the thrill of battle. Knowing that, I clench my fists.

At the command of its owner, the shelled Kudan tries to slice Kurogane. Its target somersaults backwards to dodge the swift attack, but its claw ends up cutting right through another pillar. The innocent citizens have long run away from this fight, which means they can't get caught up in this, but this is still unnecessary property damage.

Kurogane is on the defensive now as he runs from the slashing claws of the Kudan. One particularly strong attack sends the warrior flying towards more pillars, urging a worried Syaoran to run out to help. I, on the other hand, start to raise my hand to create a magic barrier around the man like I had done earlier in the day. Given his eagerness to jump into combat, there is no way Kurogane would be happy if any of us interfered, but it won't be just him feeling his impact with the pillars. I am part of this fight just as much as him, and I'm not going to stand around watching these idiots hurt each other.

However, Fai stops both me and the boy, placing one hand on Syaoran's shoulder to hold him back and one hand on my arm to keep me from acting.

"I think he's trying to help. Don't worry about him," Fai says.

I'm not so much worried about him as I am annoyed that this fight is happening at all. The pillars are destroyed as both Kurogane and the Kudan's attack reach them, and pain shoots up my back. When Kurogane hits the ground, slight pain crosses my body. Unlike the normal, constant buzz of pain I endure from my surroundings, this sensation is sharper due to my close proximity to the man. I don't feel the full intensity of Kurogane's pain, but it's still a surprisingly low level. His pain tolerance is incredible.

As he stands amidst the rubble, I see the scratches and scrape on his arms and face. I also see him sneering with deadly, bloodthirsty eyes piercing his foe, whatever pain he felt already brushed off. He won't kill, I can tell, but the Kudan and its owner are in for a world of pain. Which means so am I if I don't do anything.

"My Kudan has an even tougher shell than most first-level Kudan!" the short man boasts.

"If I had a sword," Kurogane says as he cracks his knuckles, "I could end this quickly."

A blue dragon—a Kudan— appears behind Kurogane. It must be at least a couple stories tall, not to mention the enormous length of its body. I only get a short look, though, as it transforms into a broadsword, which the man eagerly wields.

Unfazed, the crab Kudan launches what its owner calls its "ultimate attack," which Kurogane poises himself to lunge straight towards.

"Kurogane, wait!" I shout. But the man doesn't pause for even a second as he propels himself towards the crab Kudan, his sword positioned to deal a fatal blow.

I want to jump between the two, but I'm too far and they are both going so fast that I won't make it in time. In an attempt to erect a magic wall to separate the two, I let my magic flow out of my hands into the surrounding air.

To my surprise, much more power flies out from my body, leaving me feeling weakened and heading straight forward. Golden-red flames reach Kurogane and the crab right before they meet, and the result is a powerful blast that fills the air with smoke and deflects the two combatants backwards. Both Kurogane and the crab Kudan land and regain their balance without much harm. A strong gust of wind disperses the smoke, revealing a large fire-bird about half the size of Kurogane's dragon hovering slightly above the ground with its flame-riddled wings outstretched. It lets out a resonating cry before turning its head to me. Falkira's glistening red eyes, intense like fire, meet mine.

I sigh, and despite the fact that the phoenix is currently outside of me, I still communicate with her mentally. _You just had_ _to come out, didn't you?_

 _Shouldn't you be thanking me for intervening for you?_ Falkira responds into my mind, her physical beak unmoving. This time, I can actually see the playfulness shining in her eyes.

 _You didn't need to._

 _But it's still a wonderful opportunity to stretch my wings._

Upon concluding that Falkira is my Kudan, Kurogane and the gang leader both verbally attack me.

"Don't interfere!" Kurogane barks indignantly.

"What's with your Kudan? There's no way that over-sized fire turkey can break through the shell of my Kudan!" the gang leader mocks. "Do you want to lose to me, too?"

 _How dare he call me a_ turkey _!_ Insulted, Falkira turns her hot glare onto him as her entire body erupts into intense crimson fire. The air around us instantly warms as a result.

 _Hey, don't burn any buildings down, Falkira._

Walking over to join the phoenix, I request with an edge in my voice, "Leave us all alone. Please."

"You think a girl like you with a turkey can beat me?" the leader shouts before commanding his Kudan to attack again.

With a powerful flap of her wings, Falkira flies upwards. Skillfully dodging claw swipes, she lands on the crab Kudan and clamps her talons onto the front of its shell. The crab can neither shake Falkira off nor get through the barrier of flame she has created around herself. Meanwhile, it starts to writhe uncomfortably in pain as its owner grips his chest in discomfort bordering pain. It's interesting how the owner feels the same pain as his Kudan. If Kurogane's attack had connected, I'm sure the man would be in tremendously more pain. Even now, Falkira could easily cause immense pain if she wanted. She is only gradually burning hotter, though, which gives the gang leader a chance to stop and retreat the moment he reaches his limit.

"Stop fighting, or you will burn even more! Do you want that crab of yours cooked?" I threaten.

When the gang leader stubbornly hesitates, a powerful slice of razor-sharp energy whizzes past me and misses him by only inches. It came from Kurogane, who created that blast with a swift swing of his sword. Were Falkira and I not in the way, I have a feeling that attack would not have missed.

"Just listen to her!" Kurogane growls. He is clearly unhappy that I have ended his fight early, but there's no point in trying to continue it with Falkira and I in the way and the gang leader now considering whether to give up.

With Kurogane's added threat and Falkira still slowly cranking up the temperature, the leader finally gives in and withdraws his Kudan. "Fine, you win!"

His lackeys immediately rush to his side to make sure he's alright. I know for sure he is feeling much less pain than he would have otherwise.

"You're both part of Syaoran's team…" he mutters, still deluded and believing any of us even have an interesting in being part of a team.

"You're wrong," I say.

Kurogane has come to where I stand, sword held to rest on his shoulder. His stare is intense, holding tremendous conviction. "I work alone, and only for Princess Tomoyo."

Dedicating himself to who I assume to be the princess of his country… Perhaps he isn't as bad as I originally thought, but he still irks me. Anyone who enjoys rushing into fights, hurting others, killing… They're all…

Noticing the swordsman's eyes on me, I turn around and start walking past him to return to Syaoran, Fai, and Mokona. "I pretty much just do everything for my own sake."

Behind me, the gang is minding its own business and leaving us alone. Thankfully. I'm more exhausted than I was before and don't want to put up with anything else. My phoenix companion, on the other hand, circles around in the sky overhead, energetically enjoying her momentary freedom. I have a feeling that her being able to remain in the physical world is at the expense of my energy and magical power, but this is a rare opportunity for her so I leave her alone for now.

"Why did you interfere?" Kurogane asks from behind me, still where he was standing before.

I completely understand why he is annoyed. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to back down. Stopping, I turn around and challenge his red-eyed glare with my own. "I hate when people get hurt unnecessarily," I say.

"Airia! Kuro-puu!" a familiar voice calls.

The swordsman's Kudan returns into its master as Fai runs to meet us with Mokona on his shoulder and Syaoran close behind.

The blond claps his hands together with a broad smile. "That was amazing! Is that your Kudan?"

Falkira. She's not exactly a Kudan, but I suppose the description is close enough. Now that I think about it…

 _Aren't you smaller than usual?_ I ask the phoenix, looking up at her.

Still flying around and drawing the attention of many onlookers, she doesn't even glance down at me when she explains, _This world supports my physical incarnation, but my power is still sealed by the contract. In your current weakened state, this is about all you can manage as the conduit of my power._

 _So it's all your fault that—_

 _Thank me later,_ Falkira says. It sounds like she is trying to suppress a chuckle, and I have no idea why I should be thanking her. Then the phoenix tacks on one more word. _Maybe._

 _What?_

With a burst of power, Falkira explodes into tiny flames that disappear into the air except for one orb of fire that moves towards me. As she returns to me, everything starts to spin, and the ground is suddenly closing in on my face.

Worried voices. Warmth instead of the hard ground. I catch a glimpse of a white shirt before the world involuntarily fades away for the second time in two days.

* * *

It is night when I wake up again in the same room as before. The drawn curtains let in some light from the moon and the street lamps outside. On the bed beside me, the girl, Princess Sakura, still sleeps. The clothes Arashi washed for me are folded neatly in a stack one corner of the room while I still wear the borrowed clothes.

Remembering what happened, I demand from Falkira, _What did you do?_

Chuckling, she answers, _I expended more of your energy than you could handle._

 _Why?_

 _So that mage would catch you when you fell. He even carried you back to this room, which was a bonus. My plan was a great success,_ the phoenix snickers.

 _What?! You did that all so Fai would—agh! Falkira, you are having way too much fun with this! And here I was trying to give you a bit more freedom. Get out here right now so I can beat some sense into you!_

 _I'll pass on that._

I stand up with an agitated sigh and look into the hall to find that no one seems to be awake. I hope I wasn't a burden on Fai and the others, but it seems I'll have to talk to them later. Going back into the room, I shut the door again and sit against the wall by the window before pulling out the pendant from under my shirt. Really, it is two separate pieces that I wear on a single silver chain. One is a circular, silver locket. I open it now and look at the picture hidden within. Two people smile back at me, and I am one of them. I haven't been that happy in a long time, I muse as I gently rub my thumb over the image. Closing the locket, I grip the other piece—a smaller, diamond-shaped mirror—in my fist and let some of my magic power flow into it. The only purpose it serves is to allow me to communicate with a certain witch, and I intend on doing just that now that I finally have the chance. Upon opening my hand again, the mirror glows softly and projects a person's upper body in front of me.

My friend and favorite wish-granter brings the end of her pipe to her mouth and puffs out some smoke. "It's been a while since we last talked."

I waste no time in asking the question that I have been wanting to ask all day. "Why did you send me with them?"

"You wished for it, did you not?"

"But you didn't even know why I went to your shop this time. I wasn't even conscious." I realize after I have spoken that I am mistaken. Of course the witch, with her incredible knowledge and foresight in these matters, knows.

"In accordance with your wish, both then and when you initially made it, the immediate reason for your latest arrival at my shop was of little consequence. Even if you were awake, you would not— _could_ not—have wished for anything else. Am I wrong?"

With a sign, I admit, "You're correct."

"You paid a heavy price for your wish the second time we met," Yuuko continues, "and now it has been fulfilled."

"When you sent me with these people?"

"Yes. Your price covered the cost of traveling with them, but this is as far as that payment will take you."

The problem is that Yuuko and the price I paid got me here sooner than I am ready for. I'm not going to get another chance if I mess this all up, and so far, I'm off to a horrendous start. Then again, I wonder if I would ever have been ready.

"But that is not all you wanted to talk about," Yuuko prompts.

Thoughts of Fai have been crossing my mind again and again, and now I confess, "I don't know if I made the right choice. I think I hoped everything would just… go back to how it was before somehow. I… Maybe I _needed_ it to. I couldn't afford to believe anything else, or I wouldn't have been able to keep going. But after seeing him…"

"Not how you remembered?"

"He's the same person with the same soul, but he's also not the same. I don't know exactly what it is."

"Even if the soul is the same, the environment in which a person lives can change them," Yuuko reminds me.

"I know. But since he's a reincarnation, there's more than just his soul that's the same. I just… I don't know."

How someone can be the same and still be different is beyond me, but that's how it is when it comes to Fai. Thinking about it brings back that ache in my chest.

The witch takes another slow puff of smoke. "You always knew that you would never get back what you lost, but you ignored that. You can't do that any longer. What you lost, in its exact form, will never return, but that doesn't mean your promise can't be fulfilled still. You must choose. Will you keep going, knowing that?"

I didn't come all this way and survive for all those years just to run into a wall and give up. It's undeniable that Fai is reborn from the man I knew long ago, but at the same time, even a reborn man is different. I was so desperate to hold onto a sliver of hope that I didn't care, so I did anything to get to where I am now. Perhaps, though, now that I'm faced with reality, it's time for me to let it go. Time to put it all to rest and just move on from these unrealistic hopes. Except…

I can't.

Even if it won't be the same. Even if _he_ isn't the same…

"I won't leave him alone," I say.

"And if it's difficult to bear?"

My gaze fall to the floor and fixates on a single point. "Part of me wants to just forget everything so I won't have to bear it. But I can't ask you to take my memories—that's impossible now. I could also just leave, find a way to end the contract with Falkira, die... But my true wish remains the same, so I can't do that either. Whether I want to or not, I have to bear it. In the first place, that's part of what being in a contract with a phoenix means."

"Airia, your real wish was never something I could grant," Yuuko says, her words causing my head to rise. "From here, only your own choices can get you closer to fulfilling that wish. Should you do everything in your power, there is still no guarantee that you will succeed."

"I know." The words are hardly more than a whisper.

"Remember—"

"There is no coincidence, only hitsuzen," I quote, the words ingrained in my mind from all the times the witch has said it. "Right?"

With an all-knowing smile, the woman puts her pipe down before her expression becomes darker. "There is one thing I must warn you of. That man in the last world you stayed in…"

Narrowing my eyes, I say, "Senir? He seemed to know about the phoenixes."

"You shouldn't underestimate him. He managed to back even you into a corner, and you might not be able to escape so easily in the future."

I acknowledge the warning with a small nod. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good." Then, as if a switch has been flipped, she sheds all seriousness and a certain light enters her eyes. "Now that we're done with all that talk, it's time for me to have some sake!"

A distant voice of a boy on Yuuko's end yells, "Give that back, Mokona!"

Yuuko catches a black version of the fluffy snowball on her hand. Other than its color and the blue forehead gem and earring it has, it looks exactly the same as Mokona. And it's… just as adorable. If the two were together, I'm sure they would look exponentially cuter. If that's even possible.

Where does Yuuko get these things? If there's a Mokona store then—

"Is that sake?" I ask, surprised that the black Mokona would be holding a bottle of my friend's favorite drink.

"I keep telling you—" The boy, who I can now see standing behind Yuuko, stops himself when he notices me. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were talking to someone."

The boy has short black hair and glasses and looks about the same age as Syaoran. Given the apron he is wearing, he was probably in the middle of cooking. Yuuko introduces me to him.

"This is Airia. She's a friend of mine," she says before gesturing to the boy. "And he's my assistant Watanuki."

"Hmm, so you have an assistant now?" My eyebrow quirks up. Yuuko didn't seem like the type to get a helper, but then again, she's full of surprises. It's been a while since I last contacted Yuuko, so I wonder how long Watanuki has been there for.

Yuuko holds up the black Mokona. "I'm sure you've met the other one. This one can communicate with the white Mokona."

"You can call me Mokona!" the black Mokona exclaims. His voice is lower than the white one's. He also seems to share Yuuko's concerning enthusiasm for drinking. "Time for sake now!"

Watanuki and I both let out heavy sighs. Great, now Yuuko has a drinking buddy...


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I've been pretty busy with classes lately, but I finally finished then next chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

-Fai's POV-

The sky is only just beginning to become light, but I'm already awake. Syaoran and Mokona still sleep soundly, and when I look to the side of the room where the ninja sits, it seems he is asleep as well. He had insisted that he didn't need a bed, so he has been sleeping in a sitting position with his back against the wall and an arm resting on one raised knee. I can't imagine how he could be comfortable sleeping like that, but I suppose he's used to it. The man sleeps very lightly, so he probably wakes up when I leave the room. If he does, he says nothing.

Going outside to get some air was my original plan, but as I walk by the room the strange woman and the princess occupy, I stop. It's as if something is drawing me to that room, and I stand there for several moments.

 _Knock, knock._

I stare at my hand in surprise of my own actions as a tired, muffled voice comes from the other side of the door.

"You can come in."

When I open the door, I find the ginger-haired princess laying in her bed, still in her coma-sleep. The bed next to hers is now empty, as its occupant is sitting in the corner of the room and bearing a remarkable resemblance to Kurogane. Back against the wall. Raised knee supporting one arm. Head leaned back at a slight tilt. It's almost the exact same position. The young woman's raven hair almost touches the floor as she stares out the window.

"Feeling better?" I ask, plastering a smile to my face.

Right before she collapsed yesterday, I had felt a surge of power from her Kudan and a corresponding drain in her own magic. It seemed like her Kudan used up a significant amount of her energy, though I hadn't felt any connection like that between other people and their Kudans. Still, I know too little about Kudans to be able to say whether the phenomenon between Airia and her Kudan truly was unusual.

"Yeah," she says.

She says nothing else, and I'm not sure whether to just leave. For some reason, she was acting strangely around me yesterday. First, she approached me with tears. Then she started acting distant from me and stifling my attempts at conversation. When she interacted with the others, she looked them in the eye. With me, she would rapidly turn away or not face me at all—avoiding me. Even now, she isn't looking my way. Yet occasionally when she didn't think I was paying attention, I would notice her eyes fixed firmly on me. I'm not even sure if she was aware of what she was doing, but she needs to stop thinking I'm someone else.

Who exactly is she, anyway? That man had mentioned the possibility of another person on this journey but gave no further details. What is that strange power I sense from her? It's stronger than my own, yet my curse hasn't activated. And she said she was looking for something, but what?

I can't help but wonder if I perhaps did something wrong. Something to offend her. Or maybe it has something to do with whoever she mistook me for. Well, either way, it's better if the perplexing woman keeps away, even if part of me wants to figure her out.

"Sorry to bother you then. I'll head out now."

As I turn to go out the door, Airia catches me by surprise.

"Wait."

That one word stops me and pulls me back around to find Airia looking right at me. Of course she would stop avoiding me right after I decide it's better that she _does_ avoid me. But now I am immersed in her unflinching eyes. Red. The witch's eyes were an elegant, wise, slightly mysterious red. Kurogane's eyes are fiercely red, like a dragon. The eyes before me are neither of those.

"You brought me back here yesterday, right?" Airia asks.

She had fallen unconscious, so how does she know that? My smile doesn't falter as I answer, "Yes. It's great that you're fine."

"Thanks," she says softly before showing a small smile. She surprisingly still maintains eye contact.

I continue to act like I do with everyone else. With a carefree expression, I ask, "So how did you know it was me who carried you back?"

The corner of her smile twitches as if she is annoyed by something, but her reply shows no sign of annoyance. "I think I drifted in and out of consciousness a couple times and saw you. Or your shirt. Or… something."

"Hmm, you did?" I'm not entirely convinced, but I drop the topic. "Oh, you're coming with us again today, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then you should try not to anger Kuro-tan again," I advise with a small chuckle. "He was grumpy for the entire rest of the day after you ended his fight early."

Narrowing her eyes a bit, she responds, "Well maybe he shouldn't jump into fights so quickly." Then, cocking her head slightly, she challenges, "And aren't you the one constantly annoying him with those nicknames?"

"Ah, but it's so fun!" I grin and casually put my hands behind my head. "Anyway, you better get some more rest, so I'll leave you alone."

I'm not who she thinks I am. I'm not whoever it is she knows. Maybe she's met a different version of me in a different world, but that's not me. She shouldn't mistake me for anyone else, because it'll only hurt her more. As I back out and am about to close the door, those words fight to leave my lips, but then Airia says, "See you later."

It wasn't anything particularly special—just a casual, friendly remark. But the words fade away and are replaced with one last smile. "Of course."

I close the door and, after a brief pause, go outside like I had planned. It's a clear morning, but still cold. It doesn't bother me much, though, since I'm used to far colder temperatures. As I stand there, taking in the surroundings, all I can think about is Airia. About how she is acting differently now. About how even though she isn't trying to avoid me anymore, there was still something distant about her behavior. About how she shouldn't make the mistake of thinking I'm someone I'm not. And I think about her eyes. They are a blazing red, like the fire of her Kudan. But behind them lies loneliness.

* * *

-Airia's POV-

After Fai left, I didn't get any more sleep. I had decided to start fresh with him, but even though I forced myself to pretend he was just any other person, the tugging in my chest returned. And it wouldn't leave.

I want my old life back. The life I had before it spiraled into oblivion. The Fai who is here now is like a shadow of it, but how do you grasp a shadow?

I sigh as I run my fingers through my hair in an attempt to make it neater despite the tangles I hadn't bothered fixing for the past couple days.

"Why don't I just cut that off for you?" Kurogane grumbles from behind, still displeased with me. I drop my hands and stop in front of him with a glare.

"Stay away from my hair," I warn. I keep my hair long for a reason, no matter how foolish it may be, and I won't stand for this ninja to cut it.

"Don't be mean, Kuroro," Fai sings.

"DON'T CALL ME—!"

Something large suddenly swoops down. A bird? It went by so fast, and now that it is gone, two things are missing: Masayoshi and Mokona. In their place is a note that floats down. Syaoran grabs it out of the air to read it while I stand next to him to get a look.

There are only a few words on it, but of course, I can't read a single one of them. It seems that the boy can, though, as he faces me and exclaims my name before turning around to address the other two, "Airia! Fai! Kurogane!"

Everything goes downhill from there. Syaoran is no longer speaking the same language we have been using. Actually, it's odd that we have been using the same language at all, considering none of us come from the same world. How were we communicating like that?

Words are flying around that are different levels of foreign even to me, someone who has heard and even tried picking up many different languages. The language Syaoran uses is somewhat similar to a language I had known as a child and sounds the most familiar. I was never any good at reading it, but I could understand much of it when it was spoken.

" _Look at this paper! They must have been taken to … !_ " Syaoran exclaims. At least, that's what I think he is saying. I don't recognize what is probably the most important of the words, though.

Kurogane's language sounds somewhat familiar, but I don't understand it at all. Fai's language is a bit better, but I can't pick out more than a couple words. Something about "understanding" and "words."

Understanding the situation, Syaoran looks absolutely perplexed while Fai slaps his ear in some attempt to magically make it hear words that aren't just gibberish to him. Kurogane, on the other, has a magnificent grimace of annoyance and uses his pinky to try to clear out his ear. This is hopeless.

" _Syaoran_ ," I say to the person with whom I have the best chance of success of communicating. I take extra care to pronounce each word the best I can and put together a sentence that actually makes sense. " _Why are you speaking differently?_ "

" _I've always been talking like this. You can understand me?_ " he asks, simultaneously surprised and relieved.

" _Umm, mostly_."

Fai comes next to us and says something. I only catch the names of Syaoran and I and that word that I think means "understand."

Perhaps I should try to say something to Fai, but what would I even say? Instead, my mind goes back to mulling over why, if we're speaking the same, we can't understand each other now. It was so sudden, almost like a spell had worn off or had been cast. Then I realize the probable cause.

"Mokona…?" I mutter as the others exclaim the same name upon concluding the same thing.

Having seen the general direction the abductor flew to, Syaoran sets off in a sprint. Fai and Kurogane immediately follow, and I don't have much choice but to do the same.

We eventually find a traditional-looking, intricately adorned palace towering above the trees. Mokona and Masayoshi dangle from the tail of a hybrid fish-tiger statue at the top of the structure. As we approach, we are able to understand each other again, meaning Mokona really does have some kind of translation ability. It's remarkable that I'm not even able to sense anything different when Mokona is around.

When we actually reach the castle, there are hundreds – maybe thousands— of people gathered on the ground below the stone outcropping we stand on. Holding up the letter, Syaoran shouts to them all, "Excuse me! Does anyone know who wrote this letter?"

That kid is so polite, even in a situation like this. It doesn't take long for the note-writer to step forward. She sits on a railing at the top of the castle. Her stylish clothes suit her well, emphasizing her beautiful features. The crowds roar with enthusiastic shouts of the young woman's name. Primera. She's clearly a beloved idol with great confidence, and it makes no sense why she would kidnap anyone.

"Please let Mokona and Masayoshi go!" Syaoran shouts to her.

A confused look crosses her face as she points to the black-haired boy hanging on the roof. "Isn't that Syaoran?"

"I'm Syaoran! If I'm the one you want, then please let those two go!"

The fact that she is really after Syaoran makes no sense, either, seeing as we only just arrived in this world. It just seems like she's trying to pick a fight for no reason when she demands with an astounding amount of charisma, "If you want them back, you have to fight me first!"

This declaration sends her fans into a frenzy as they begin a renewed bout of screaming about how cute she is and how much they love her. "Why are they so noisy?" I mutter to myself.

I hadn't expected Fai to hear, but he asks, "You don't like crowds?"

I look up at his blue eyes. "No, I don't."

The short exchange goes unnoticed by Kurogane and Syaoran, who wonders aloud, "How can I get up there?"

"Don't fight her," I say to the boy, not about to let another avoidable fight take place. "I'll get Mokona and Masayoshi and we'll leave."

Kurogane's red gaze rests on me now. "How the hell are you going to reach them?"

"I'll use magic."

Falkira hadn't said anything to me yet today, but she chooses now to break her silence with an amused tone. _Want me to fly up there for you?_

Remembering what happened with the phoenix yesterday, I respond sternly, _No._

 _You're no fun._

I ignore her last statement in favor of answering Fai.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," he says, "You're still not fully recovered."

"It's fine. It'll be easy to get those two down. Then we can leave."

Magic wisps of air are already swirling around my hand as I lift it up, but the blond mage holds my wrist down like he did the day before. In an instant, my heart feels like it's becoming unsteady and beating out of rhythm.

"This Primera's Kudan might have the feather, so we'll have to fight anyway to find out," the blond tells me. His too-familiar blue eyes look straight into mine. He won't back down.

Sighing, I relax my arm, causing the man to let go. My other hand drifts to where his hand had just been.

"And how do _you_ plan on getting up there?" Kurogane inquires.

With a smile, Fai answers, "By using my Kudan!"

As he says that, the wind picks up around him, making his light hair flutter softly. A green bird about the size of Kurogane's dragon Kudan appears behind him, its wings surrounding the man. A large gem is set into its forehead. The Kudan looks remarkably like a phoenix, though not the same kind as Falkira. Before it disappears and envelops the man in a momentary green light, its eyes seem to meet mine.

 _You've found quite the interesting vessel, cousin._

The unfamiliar voice in my head startles me. I'm not sure where it came from until Falkira responds. _Friend,_ she corrects. _Not vessel. You've found an interesting one yourself._

Fai's Kudan has disappeared already, but the voice persists. _I have. And I see you have become much stronger than before. I pray you do not get caught by mere humans again._

It seems Falkira knows that Kudan, and that Kudan apparently knows what happened that time. Except I don't remember ever encountering this phoenix, which makes me wonder how he knows about the situation Falkira was in.

 _Sometimes we see glimpses of the death of one of our own,_ Falkira explains. _He must have seen mine before you changed that outcome._

 _I see…_ Thoughts of Senir briefly flash through my mind and make me uneasy, but I disregard them. I'll be able to deal with him when the time comes.

Now that the green phoenix is gone, Fai is floating in the air in front of us. I stop him when he is about to leave. "Wait!" When he turns to face me, I say, "Don't get hurt. And don't hurt that Primera girl."

"Of course," he answers with a reassuring smile.

I watch as he flies off towards the idol who now calls out her Kudan: a microphone that appears in her hand. Her attacks are as flashy as she is. As she sings—or shouts, rather—her words, enormous block letters fly out from the microphone towards Fai. Fortunately, the nimble mage dodges the attacks, floating around freely as if he is paper in the wind. At least so far, neither of the fighters have gotten hurt.

Primera's fans are so loud, though, I wish they'd shut up. Judging by how easily he is dodging, Fai obviously has battle experience, and it's clear who the winner will be. However, given that Mokona hasn't shown any reaction to the feather so far, Primera's Kudan probably doesn't have it. Any more fighting is pointless.

Fai must realize this too, because when more words fly towards him, he takes the offensive instead of dodging. Running along the tops of the blocks of words, he swiftly reaches Primera. His approach causes her to fall back on the roof with Fai kneeling over her, practically pinning her down.

"I don't want to hurt a cute girl, so can you please stop fighting?" he asks.

Annoyance bubbles in my chest, and I can no longer just stand by and watch. "I've had it," I grumble, raising my arm once again to use magic.

However, Primera suddenly yells, "I CAN'T LOSE!"

Words are launched out from her microphone, and though Fai is too close to be harmed by the uncontrolled long-range attack, the dangerous text collides with the rooftop with Masayoshi and Mokona.

"Watch out!" Syaoran warns in panic.

I frantically look for the two in all the debris and smoke from the ensuing explosion, but I can't locate them. They're going to fall, and I won't be able to save them. None of us could possibly reach in time.

But there is no pain. I don't feel any indication that Mokona and Masayoshi have hit anything. Instead, I sense a wave of strong power as two things happen at once. Masayoshi's Kudan somehow protects the boy and Mokona from the fall's impact, and they are safely on a lower roof. At the same time, Shougo appears with his gang behind him.

Did one of those events trigger the power? Was it Shougo? It's the same as the brief surge of it I felt yesterday, so it must be the feather. More importantly, I now recognize where I've felt it before. It's the same as his—Senir's. Which would mean he got his greedy hands on one of the fragments of memory.

The power has faded again, and I'm not sure where exactly it came from. It's still present, but too weak for me to pinpoint. While Shougo and Primera argue with each other for some reason or another, Mokona bounces up and down to catch our attention from her spot on the roof.

"Syaoran! Syaoran!" she shouts. She must sense Sakura's feather, too, seeing as her eyes are wide open. "The feather is close!"

"Where? Who has it?" Syaoran asks.

"Mokona doesn't know, but there was a strong presence just now!"

Fai, who had flown back to us not too long ago, says, "It must be inside a Kudan…"

"Sorata said a Kudan is strongest when it's protecting somebody."

"Don't tell me…" I trail off, tired of being near so many fights lately and knowing where this is going to end.

"We'll have to fight it," Fai concludes.

Half sighing, half groaning, I turn to face Shougo who is conveniently starting to challenge Syaoran. "Syaoran, you are strong. Not physically, but here," he says as he points to his chest with his thumb. "That's why I want to fight you with our Kudan."

The boy jumps down from the ledge, and with a single step forward, his the fire-wolf appears beside him. "I accept."

The one-on-one battle is fierce. Immense blasts of water and fire from each Kudan collide, and the resulting explosions send shockwaves that I have to brace myself against. The two seem to be on even footing until Shougo's Kudan conjures a vicious tidal wave that rushes across the ground and engulfs Syaoran and his Kudan. The water eventually disappears to reveal a protective sphere of fire surrounds the boy. As he stands back up, the fire forms into a wolf again.

"AHHHH!"

The battle comes to an abrupt end when screams pierce through the area. They come from Masayoshi, Primera, and Mokona, who are still on a roof of the castle. Loud cracking and creaking accompanies the falling structure of one of the towers next to them as parts of the building crash down towards the group.

"Watch out!" Syaoran shouts.

"Hey!" I also call out. Instinctively, I swing my arm in the direction of the collapsing building and force a gust of wind to cut through the plummeting debris. Unfortunately, I'm only able to deflect about half of it with my hastily executed move. The rest continues to fall towards Mokona and the others.

My fingers curl into tight fists and I clench my teeth. Damn it.

Once again, I expect pain that doesn't come. Instead, a giant version of Masayoshi's Kudan is suddenly standing significantly taller than even the castle. His hand is cupped over the roof, and I realize he's protecting his owner, along with Primera and Mokona. This lasts only for a moment, though. The enormous Kudan picks up only Masayoshi and proceeds to fire extremely powerful energy beams from his mouth. He's on a rampage, and Masayoshi can't control him.

There is absolutely no way this is going to end up pain-free. The only bright side is that I sense the feather's power from that Kudan—and it is extremely potent.

Mokona confirms this. "Sakura's feather is in that Kudan!"

This, of course, sets Syaoran off towards the uncontrollable giant.

"How are you gonna fight that thing? You could die," Kurogane cautions.

We all know that we won't be able to stop the boy. Determination unwaveringly shines in his eyes as he responds, "I won't die. I still have something I need to do."

"Be careful, at least," I mutter.

But he is already gone.

* * *

It burned. When Syaoran retrieved the feather and forced his way into the Kudan's body, it burned. Light burns and scratches presently cover Syaoran's body, but I think it was more than Syaoran who was feeling the pain. Masayoshi's Kudan, and by association the boy himself, felt the brunt of it. The black-haired boy endured, and once Syaoran got the feather, the Kudan returned to normal and Shougo's Kudan summoned rain to quell any fires that resulted from the rampage.

Syaoran had rushed back to his princess as fast as he could, and her body absorbed its feather when the boy held it close. That feather was enough to finally wake her up, but now Syaoran silently slips out of the room, leaving Fai to introduce the rest of us to the newly-awakened princess. I smile at the girl, who returns a smile so innocent it hurts to watch when I know how much she means to the boy.

I hear the front door shutting and quietly exit the room as well. I'm not sure what I was thinking. It's not like I could just go after him when he wants to be alone. I end up going to the living room window. Outside, Syaoran faces away from the apartment, his head raised to the night. There he stands, unmoving, with rain steadily falling on him.

 _"Who are you?"_ Sakura had asked, the first words she spoke when her eyes opened to the sight of Syaoran's face. Cruel words, but not Sakura's fault at all. I would blame fate for this. For taking Syaoran's most relationship like this. For all my hardships and problems. Fate can set things right again, sure, but I haven't known it to be so kind. Not to me. Not to Syaoran or Sakura.

Soon, I am joined by the two men of the group. Mokona isn't with either of them, so she must be keeping Sakura company. We watch on in silence for a short while. Kurogane and Fai have summoned their Kudans outside where their wings are spread over Syaoran to protect him from the rain and provide whatever comfort they can. Even his own Kudan has even appeared to stand by him in what I presume is an attempt at comfort.

"Right now he's crying. I thought he would start crying right then," Fai eventually says.

"Anyone who doesn't cry can't be strong. After you cry, you can face the problem better," Kurogane comments. I didn't expect a warrior like him to have such an opinion. I can't imagine him ever crying, but if he's saying something like this, I'm sure the man must have in the past.

"Have you cried?" The words are out before I can stop them.

The ninja shoots me a hard look, but answers honestly, "I have."

"Hnn, so even Kuro-dog cries?" the mage teases.

"SHUT IT!"

Fai sticks a playful tongue out, but that playfulness vanishes as quickly as it came. "But," he says, "it takes a certain strength to be able to cry when you have to."

At that, an old memory suddenly resurfaces and with it returns a taste of the strong emotions that I have grown unaccustomed to feeling.

 _"You're not weak," he said. "And crying doesn't make you weak, so cry if you have to."_

 _"B-But if I were stronger, I... I wouldn't... I wouldn't be crying..."_

 _"You're plenty strong, which is why we're both still here and you're crying like this. And don't forget, I'll always..."  
_

Tears swell in my eyes and my chest tightens. Of all the things for Fai to say right now, it had to be something that brought back a long-forgotten memory like that… Am I really strong? I don't know. But if I cry in front of him right now, would he think I'm strong even if I'm not? Even if all my walls have clearly started crumbling since I joined this group of people?

I feel like a completely different person right now, and it's strange. I should be casting away any kind of pain like I have for thousands of years-save for a handful of moments- but Fai has made it near impossible to keep it up in the past couple of days. Closing my eyes to keep my tears in check, I say solemnly, "It doesn't matter if you're weak or strong. If I were Syaoran, I'd cry, too. Sometimes you just do."

Before either man next to me can speak, I turn around with downcast eyes and walk away with two scrutinizing gazes on me. "I'm going to sleep," I inform them.

I know all too well what Syaoran must be feeling, and god, it's a terrible feeling. Like your heart is empty and a dark hole has opened in the ground beneath you to swallow you whole. And if you don't keep fighting desperately, you will be engulfed in the darkness.


End file.
